Railway services suspended nationwide as running staff go on strike
Passengers unaware of the strike gathered at the stations in the early morning but had to return home after waiting for a few hours
Highlights:
- Railway services suspended nationwide
- Running staff demand pension, gratuity with mileage allowance
- Passengers unaware of suspension suffer
- Railway refunds money for tickets
- Adds BRTC buses as a temporary alternative to rail routes
Railway services have been suspended nationwide since this morning (28 January) as the running staff began an indefinite strike demanding pension and gratuity with their mileage allowance.
"Although Bangladesh Railway has accepted most of the demands of the running staff, they have not deviated from their pre-determined schedule. Therefore, disruptions in train operations may occur starting from 28 January," reads a press release signed by Ministry of Railways' Public Relations Officer Rezaul Karim Siddiqui.
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As per the release, Bangladesh Railway will refund the money for previously purchased tickets if journeys are cancelled.
Adviser to the Ministry of Railways Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan urged the running staff to end the strike during his visit to Kamalapur Railway Station today to observe the ongoing situation caused by the strike.
"Our doors remain open for discussion. Most of their demands have been fulfilled, and the rest will also be addressed. Shutting down railway services is causing passenger hardship. So I urge them to end the strike and engage in discussions," he said.
"We have repeatedly called for discussions, but they have not responded. Some demands are beyond the railway's authority and fall under the finance department. We have already sent letters to them, and they will provide what is reasonable after review," he added.
However, Saeedur Rahman, general secretary of the Dhaka Division Committee of the Bangladesh Railway Running Staff and Workers Association, said, "We have not received any decisions from railway authorities. We remain steadfast in our decision to halt train operations."
Passengers suffer
Meanwhile, railway passengers have faced significant inconvenience as trains scheduled to depart after midnight failed to leave their stations.
Passengers who had booked tickets in advance and were unaware of the strike gathered at the stations from early morning. After waiting for a few hours, they eventually had to return home.
Khurshid Akhtar, one of such passengers, had come to Kamalapur Railway Station from Shonir Akhra with her elderly father and child, having purchased tickets earlier.
Expressing her frustration, she said, "I came from Shonir Akhra to Kamalapur Railway Station with my elderly father and child. Now I hear that the train is not running. What a situation!"
"There is no way I can take my elderly father on a bus. Besides, I get motion sickness when I take the bus. I waited so long, and it doesn't seem like the train will run today. They are repeatedly announcing over the microphone to get ticket refunds. Now I will get a refund and go home," she added.
After waiting continuously until 9am, the family finally returned home.
Md Ibrahim, another passenger, came to Kamalapur Railway Station from Maniknagar with his sister and sister-in-law to go to Rangpur.
"I was going to Rangpur with my sister and sister-in-law for a very urgent matter. When I came to the station, I learned that train services were suspended. No one can even say when it will start," he said.
"I waited for almost 2 hours. I will wait for a little while more. If the train doesn't run, I will get a refund and go home," he added.
Railway porters suffer
The railway porters at the station are also having a difficult day due to the train stoppage.
"We will have to go without food today. If the trains run, we earn something. But if they don't, we have no income. It's already 9am, but I haven't earned enough for breakfast yet," said Tara Mia, one of the porters.
Railway adds BRTC buses as alternatives
Amid the suspension of railway services, the railways ministry has added BRTC buses as a temporary alternative to rail routes.
"Passengers travelling from Dhaka Railway Station and Airport Railway Station to Chattogram, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Khulna, Cumilla, Bogura, and Mymensingh can use the BRTC bus service with their purchased train tickets. Similarly, passengers from these locations can travel to Dhaka using the same service," said the ministry in a release.
This BRTC bus service will continue until further notice.
The strike stems from the staff's demands for several unresolved issues, including the inclusion of running allowances in their basic pay for pension calculations.
The railway running staff who went on strike include locomasters, assistant locomasters, sub-locomasters, guards, and ticket checkers.
The running staff often complained that although they have an eight-hour working day, they have to work an average of 15-18 hours.
They used to get a special overtime allowance, known as the mileage allowance, in addition to their basic salary. This system offers 75% more than their pension based on the basic salary. However, the Finance Ministry scrapped the mileage facility in a notification in November 2021, creating discontent among railway running staff.
In January 2022, following protests, the Finance Ministry reinstated salaries and allowances but excluded mileage benefits from pensions. The then minister yielded to demands in April 2023 and promised the issuance of a new notification.
However, the November 2021 notification has not been scrapped yet, causing pension issues.
